Astronomy

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, April 22-28, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping for the final push to the weekend. Yes! Tomorrow is Friday. And today is Thoughty Thursday 🙂

Stephen Luntz discovers that trees have a “heartbeat,” too. IFLS

Linda Poon: new “mutant enzymes” could solve Earth’s plastic problem. Are they any better than recycling, though? The proof remains to be seen. City Lab

Another promising solution? Saqib Shah: first ever ocean plastic cleaner will tackle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The New York Post

Why so few people on the Six Nations Reserve have clean, running water, unlike their neighbours. It’s not just remote or northern reserves. We really have to provide all people with the necessities of life. Like, yesterday. CBC’s “Out in the Open.”

Alek Minassian, the Toronto van attack suspect, praised “Incel” killer. BBC

Psychologists explain why you should be friends with people who swear a lot. We’re more fucking honest and intelligent 🙂 Rachel-Lee Thomas for Providr.

Do essential oils work? And why? (I guess that second question gives away the answer to the first …) SciShow

 

Can exercise treat depression? SciShow Psych

 

Scientists may have discovered the root cause of autism (and no, it’s not vaccines). Let’s first seek to understand ASD before we attempt to eradicate it. IFLS

Sara Burrows explains how one Texas school beat ADHD by tripling recess. Return to Now

Nina Strochlic reveals the race to save the world’s disappearing languages. National Geographic

Going grey the right way: everything you need to know about grey hair. Katie Martin for HealthyWay.

Nadia Drake: how 1.7 billion stars were mapped with dazzling 3-D precision. National Geographic

Alfredo Carpineti: Study reveals Uranus smells of farts. IFLS

Baby elephant chases the birds, falls, and runs to mom.

 

I hope something in this mix inspired you (or at least entertained you).

Be well until this weekend’s next chapter update.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 18-24, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila / 1 Comment

Here are a few links to get your mental corn popping (making creative connections).

Anna Mehler Paperny begs your attention: no, Canada does not spend more on refugees than on its seniors. It’s a big misunderstanding that needs correction. Global News

Adam Gopnik: four truths about the Florida school shooting. The New Yorker

Ed Brayton says, the problem is toxic masculinity, not mental illness. Patheos

Peter Kruger cribs from The Princess Bride. Why does the NPR station have so much propaganda against Trump? Quora

Elizabeth Chuck reports on women, harassed in medicine, await their #metoo reckoning. NBC News

Olga Khazan examines a paradox: the more gender equality, the fewer women in STEM. The Atlantic

Rachael Stephen describes the cognitive behavioural therapy method in this next instalment of her series on mental health.

 

Phil Plait: Osiris-X looks home from far, far away. SyFy

An amateur astronomer spots a supernova, right as it begins. Ryan F. Mandelbaum for Gizmodo.

Megan Senseney surveys hygiene practices of the middle ages. Healthy Way

Anna Lovind writes an ode to winter.

Enjoy the evocative work of women artists of the Canadian Inuit. Women Arts Blog

Chris Wright wonders, can you hack coral to save it? Outside

John Vidal: a eureka moment for the planet; we’re finally planting trees again. The Guardian

Andy Coghlan reports how trees have been seen resting their branches while they “sleep.” New Scientist

Ephrat Livni: heart of barkness. Japanese “forest medicine” is the art of using nature to heal yourself, wherever you are. Quartz

Bored Panda shares Grace Gogarty’s hilarious guide to dog breeds.

Be well until the weekend.

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Feb 4-10, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Thought Thursday is here, and you know what that means … tomorrow is Friday! Happy Friday eve!

This is why Uma Thurman is angry. Maureen Dowd for The New York Times.

Gemma Hartley says that the equal distribution of emotional labour is the key to gender equality. Harper’s Bazaar

Author Roni Loren writes a personal post about hormones, stress, and sneaky depression.

Ed Yong studied his own articles to improve the gender balance of his reporting. The Atlantic

John Pavlovitz: no, you’re not tired of being politically correct.

The Economist is thinking about natives in an era of nativism.

Hannah Devlin reports on the DNA analysis of Cheddar Man and the revelation that the first modern Britons had dark to black skin. The Guardian

Cleve R. Wootson: Maya civilisation was vaster than thought, as thousands of newly discovered structures reveal. The Washington Post

Phil Plait shares Mike Olbinski’s time-lapse storm video, Breathe. SyFy

Whistler Deep Sky II – David McColm Photography

 

Ashley Hamer: yes, a donut-shaped planet is technically possible. Curiosity

Tariq Malik reports on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket’s historic maiden voyage. Space

Andrea Morris introduces us to the woman teaching artificial intelligence about human values. Forbes

Rafi Letzter examines how an ancient virus may be responsible for human consciousness. Live Science

World War II spitfire pilot Mary Ellis from the Isle of Wight turns 100. BBC

Dangerous Minds profiles the Victorian woman who drew pictures of ghosts.

The astonishing science of what trees feel and how they communicate. Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees. Maria Popova, Brain Pickings.

Hooria Jazaieri points out three things we still don’t know about meditation (and how to read studies critically). Mindful

Steven Parton explores the science of happiness and why complaining is literally killing you. Curious Apes

Mohammed Al-Mosaiwi: people with depression are more likely to say certain words. Quartz

Truth Potato tells it like it is. Bored Panda

Piper, a short film by Disney Pixar.

 

I hope something in this mix got your mental corn popping.

Be well until the weekend.

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 21-27, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping!

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg reflects on the #metoo movement. Nina Tottenberg for NPR.

Jia Tolentino: the rising pressure of the #metoo backlash. The New Yorker

Lili Loufbourow exposes the female price of male pleasure. The Week

The secret to living longer may be your social life. Susan Pinker’s TED Talk.

Why we act introverted: it’s not just nature. Brenda Knowles, Space2Live.

Rachael Stephen: depression and anxiety 101.

 

“Good” and “bad” are incomplete stories we tell ourselves. Heather Lanier’s TED talk.

 

Julie Beck: the new age of astrology. The Atlantic

Thomas Merritt looks for clues to the mystery of handedness in kangaroos and shopping malls. The Conversation

Garret Beard explains how artificial intelligence is going to supercharge surveillance. The Verge

Lessons from a solar storm chaser. Miho Janvier’s TED Talk.

 

Woman librarians delivered books by horseback in the 1930s. A pictorial retrospective. Deb Street for History Daily.

The history of Appalachian English, or, why we talk differently. Appalachian Magazine

Be well until the weekend 🙂

The first next chapter update of 2018 is on deck!

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Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Jan 7-13, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

This week was thoughtier than usual 🙂

Dana Goodyear: can Hollywood change its ways? The New Yorker

Joseph Shapiro exposes the sexual assault epidemic that no one talks about. NPR

Zdravko Cvijetic lists 13 things you must give up to live the life you want. Uplift

Judith Graham says that good friends might be your best brain booster as you age. Scientific American

Ed Yong pays tribute to the transgender scientist who changed how we understand the brain. The Atlantic

The benefits of deep sleep and how we can get more of it. Dan Gartenberg’s TED Talk.

 

Holly Butcher was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma and posted an inspirational message on the eve of her death. BoredPanda

Mya Fourstar aims for college basketball and life beyond the reserve. Jesse Dougherty for The Washington Post.

Arthur C. Clarke predicts the internet in 1962.

 

Dave Mosher reports on the Jupiter probe’s latest mind-bending images of the gas giant. The Business Insider

Andrew Fazekas shares his top eight must-see sky events of 2018. National Geographic

NPR’s Skunk Bear explores the sci-fi sound of singing ice.

 

SciShow: Egyptian Blue. Modern applications for an ancient pigment.

 

Shake your silk-maker: the dance of the peacock spider.

 

The firefly experience.

 

I hope something in this curation got your mental corn popping.

Be well until the weekend.

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Dec 31, 2017 – Jan 6, 2018

/ Melanie Marttila

Here’s some stuff that might just get the mental corn popping 🙂

More on the continuing Phoenix debacle: public servants have until January 31st to deal with 2017 overpayments. Matthew Kupfer for the CBC.

John Leland says, if you want to be happy, think like an old person. The New York Times

How society destroys your creativity.

 

Brenda Knowles: the biggest wound of relationships and how to avoid it. Space2Live

Eric Andrew-Gee says, your smartphone is making you stupid, antisocial, and unhappy, but why can’t you put it down? The Globe and Mail

Danny Vinik reports on the real future of work. Politico

Astronomy calendar for 2018:

 

Kemp Reweti – Maori harpist.

 

And that was your edutainment for the week.

Be well until the weekend!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Oct 22-28, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get your mental corn popping, my friends.

Phil Plait reports on our first interstellar visitor: an asteroid from another star. Did you go out and look at the moon on Saturday? You should have. October 28 was International Observe the Moon Night. Of course, it was overcast here in the Sudz 😦 SyFy

NASA releases its findings from its study of the Kelly twins. IFLS

SciShow: hypnagogia.

 

And in SciShow news, the Alphago AI and how volcanoes may have influenced ancient Egypt.

 

This is amazing. Russell Powell makes paintings with his hand prints. You just have to see it to appreciate it.

 

Livia Albeck-Ripka: for an endangered animal, a hurricane or a wildfire can mean the end. The New York Times

Kulning – an ancient herdingcall – a farewell song to the cows (and it actually works!)

 

For Hallowe’en, Sonya Vatomsky shares the origins of 25 monsters, ghosts, and spooky things. Buzzfeed

We’ll meet again, come December.

Be well until then 🙂

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Sept 3-9, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s a little bit of everything to get your mental corn popping 🙂

If you get goosebumps when you listen to music, like Greg Evans, your brain might be special. (Not church lady special …) A friend of mine calls them les frissons musicale 🙂 The Independent

David Nield: scientists may finally have discovered the trigger for autoimmune diseases. Science Alert

Katherine Schafler says the one thing no one ever says about grieving. Thrive Global

Patti Neighmond warns, get off the couch, baby boomers, or you might not be able to later. NPR

If you drink tap water, you’re consuming plastic pollutants—ick! Dan Morrison and Christopher Tyree for PRI.

Kate Shuttleworth counts the 606 pairs of shoes that represent New Zealand suicides this year alone. The Guardian

Mary Shepperson discovers ancient Iraq’s Sealand Kings. The Guardian

Brigit Katz reports on the lost languages discovered in one of the world’s oldest continuously run libraries. The Smithsonian Magazine

Tom Nichols: how we killed expertise. Politico

Maria Sacchetti reports on what will happen to the Dreamers if DACA is repealed. The Washington Post

Jessica Taylor says Congress can save DACA—but will they? NPR

Eric Roston shows you what’s really causing global warming. Bloomberg Businessweek

Now is exactly the time we should be talking about climate change. Phil Plait for Syfy.

Phil Plait documents our close encounter with asteroid Florence. SyFy

94 year old veteran Harry Leslie Smith has a warning for the world: don’t let my past be your future. The Independent

Ta-Nahisi Coates: the first white president. The Atlantic

The United Nations unveils stunning memorial in New York dedicated to the millions who were killed or sacrificed in the slave trade to create America’s riches. Nick Chiles for the Atlanta Black Star.

Chelene Knight says, constantly proving my blackness is exhausting. The Globe and Mail

This is simply brilliant: even racists got the blues. Read the whole post. Brill, I say! The Geeky Gaeilgeoir

Bored Panda presents the photos of a 17-year-old Stanley Kubrick.

Nothing but Thieves – Broken Machine

 

And, just for fun, the original, 1969 (year of my birth, incidentally) Manamana from Sesame Street. Muppet mania forever!

 

And that was your Thoughty Thursday for the week!

Be well until the weekend 🙂

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, Aug 27-Sept 2, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

It’s time to get the mental corn popping, people!

Alfredo Corchado: Mexico offers to help Harvey-soaked Texas. The Dallas News

Charles P. Pierce reports that we are not prepared for the ecological disaster Harvey is creating. Esquire

And Harvey isn’t the only system making news. Chloe Farand reveals that monsoons have killed 1,200 and left millions homeless in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The Independent

Murray Sinclair says we’re focused on the wrong thing when it comes to reconciliation. CBC’s “As it happens.”

Brandi Morin: First Nations students face continued funding shortfalls. CBC

David Kadavy explains how to be a creativity machine. Medium

Hannah Nichols wonders, what happens to the brain as we age? Medical Health News

What science tells us about good and evil. Yudhijit Battacharjee and Lynn Johnson for National Geographic.

Tom Chivers explains how to spot a psychopath. The Telegraph

The latest Cassini images of Saturn and its moons are breathtaking. Sci-Tech Universe

Phil Plait shares what he discovered standing under the shadow of the moon. SyFy

Jaymi Heimbuch shares seven things you never knew about dragonflies. Cause I loves the dragonflies 🙂 Mother Nature Network

Chris Ketonen reports on the Northwestern Ontario man who nursed an injured eagle back to health. CBC

Be well until the weekend!

thoughtythursday2016

Thoughty Thursday: Things that made me go hmmmm on the interwebz, June 4-10, 2017

/ Melanie Marttila

And here’s how we get your mental corn popping 🙂

John Campo thinks it’s time to recognize mental health as essential as physical health. Stat

Emily Esfahani Smith: science says lasting relationships come down to kindness and generosity. The Atlantic

Janice Johnson reports on the assault victim who was jailed and had to wear shackles to testify. CBC

Scott Gilmore shows us the Canada most people don’t see. Maclean’s

Rise of the machines: who is “the internet of things” good for? Adam Greenfield for The Guardian.

Phil Plait: Einstein was right (again!). Astronomers watch as a star’s gravity bends light from another star. Blastr

It’s okay to be smart looks at the implications of CRISPR:

 

Ian Sample: the oldest homo sapiens bones ever found shake the foundations of the human story. The Guardian

Kelly Richman-Abdou looks at the ancient techniques and evolution of traditional Japanese tattoos. My Modern Met

Because this addresses Guardians of the Galaxy, volume 2, I’d normally put it in Tipsday … BUT because science is way too geeky for that!

 

I hope you have a few tasty ideas to take to the page.

Be well until the weekend! *waves*

thoughtythursday2016